PROVIDENCE – House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi will again make housing production one of his top priorities when the 2024 legislative session begins on Jan. 2.
“It’s a major issue that’s not going away. It’s gotten worse," he said. "The only way you are going to address this crisis that will have any significant impact is to create more supply. We have a very strong demand."
During a Dec. 11 interview with PBN, joined by House Majority Leader Chris Blazejewski, D-Providence, Shekarchi said the House will refile the unsuccessful bill to increase density on residential lots through the creation of accessory dwelling units. That bill failed to pass before the close of the 2023 General Assembly session after being held up by the Senate.
Blazejewski said the ADU bill is "an important piece" to spurring housing unit production.
“Hopefully we can get that over to the Senate quickly and they will give it a strong look," he said.
Shekarchi expects the ADU legislation to pass the House early in the 2024 session. He successfully shepherded through a multi-bill housing package aimed at standardizing and streamlining development during the 2023 session that makes it easier to convert commercial real estate into housing, streamlines local permitting processes, gives incentives for developers to offer affordable housing units, eliminates rental application fees and establishes a density bonus for developers of affordable housing, among other changes.
The new laws go into effect Jan. 1. and municipalities must come into compliance by that time.
As for additional housing bills, Shekarchi said it was too early to divulge any details but vowed another package will be introduced.
"We don’t yet know what it is," he said. "We have to wait until we see what comes out of the committees.”
Shekarchi feels local opposition has often become the biggest barrier to a statewide solution. For example, the Narragansett Town Council is now considering a ordinance that could nullify one of the state provisions that local officials give deference to proposals otherwise in conflict with property setback limits.
Shekarchi said that proposal would violate state law.
“They say they are working on affordable housing. Well, they are doing a terrible job of it,” he said. “I’m hopeful that they will see the light. What they are doing is blatantly illegal and will open themselves up to liability.”
Shekarchi anticipates some resistance from people opposed to what they view as state-level takeover of local planning and zoning.
Asked if he thinks the legislature should consider adding any penalties to municipalities that have yet met the 10% minimum of affordable housing stock mandated by state law, Shekarchi said for the meantime he still prefers a market-driven, public-private approach.
“The General Assembly has a lot of tools at their disposal,” he said. "But the private sector has the expertise and the people to build these homes. It is just the regulatory red tape in many of these communities. They like their quality of life and their large lots. And they don’t want change."
Christopher Allen is a PBN staff writer. You may contact him at Allen@PBN.com
Is the housing being demanded by people who can afford to pay for it? If so, the private sector would be building it. If not, we should be spending money infrastructure, not wasting it on housing. If you don’t believe me, just ask Alviti & McKee.